Club Gear

Objectives: to make gear available to all members, to not lose gear, to keep gear in good condition, to maintain a gear plan, to find good deals on gear.

Club gear is managed by the Quartermasters, who are elected members of the VOC Exec. We appreciate getting help with gear; if you would like to help out, please volunteer to be a Helper. Quartermasters and Helpers follow gear policy

As Club gear is maintained by the quartermasters and club members, it is subject to the time constraints of busy students. This means the gear you receive may not be in the best condition. You must examine and/or test borrowed gear before you take it on a trip. Report damage to the quartermasters. Usually you can earn a workhike by maintaining or repairing the club gear you borrow.

Club members (Student Members and Associate Members, but not Alumni Members) can borrow gear for free if they leave a deposit. In addition, after a 3 rental grace period everyone is supposed to do a workhike before borrowing club gear.

Gear Rental Rules

Using Club gear is one of the privileges of being a fee-paying (Student or Associate) Member. Alumni Members don't pay fees and are not entitled to use Club Gear; presumably by the time you get to be an Alumni Member, you have bought your own gear.

Members are entitled to use one set of gear at a time, not gear for yourself and your friends (unless they are Members). If your friend needs a beacon and you need a beacon, your friend should join the Club.

After a 3 rental grace period you are supposed to have completed a work hike. See Workhikes. If you haven’t done yours yet, discuss this with the Gear Person. Usually you can earn a workhike by maintaining or repairing the club gear you borrow.

Rental is free, but a large cash deposit is required to take out Club Gear. The cash is returned to you when you bring back the gear.

Gear rental period is for a week. Please bring it back during the week following the week you took it out. Bring it back as soon as you can, as others may be waiting to use it. There may be penalties for bringing gear back late.

If you need to take out gear for longer than a weekend, discuss this with the Gear Person, who may let you take it out for longer, especially over the Winter Holiday, or Reading Break.

If you need gear for two consecutive weekends, you may be able to renew your rental for the next weekend, if demand for the gear is not high at the moment.

Don't try to reserve gear. If you need something, take it before somebody else gets it.

Look over your gear carefully to ensure it is all there and it will work for you. Make sure your boots both fit your feet and the skis, and that your skins fit. Check for loose screws in the bindings. Check both halves of the pair. People have managed to borrow two left boots, for example.

Return gear in good condition boots should be dry. If something broke, tell us about it. If you lost something, be prepared to replace it.

Don't hog the gear. If you find you are having trouble with returning Club gear, or it has been sitting in your closet for a while, this is an indication that you are using the Club gear without respect for the needs of the other Members. Maybe it's time to get your own gear.

Location

In the clubroom in the basement of the SUB, by the Bike Kitchen. This map will guide you.

Gear Rental Hours (when the Clubroom will be open)

The Winter 2011 gear hours are listed below. If you need to meet the Quartermasters outside of gears hours due to scheduling conflicts, ask nicely. Your best bet is to email the quartermaster and be prepared to bring some small bribe (food or drink generally works well).

Contact

If you would like to contact the quartermasters, you can email: [email protected] dot com .

If we aren't busy with gear, we can help you out with VOC membership or VOC library loans, belay testing, etc.

Deposits

All gear is borrowed on a deposit system. When you return the gear, you get your deposits returned. Below are some of the deposit amounts. We don't accept personal cheques for deposits, and we don't do credit cards, so that leaves cash only. Deposit amounts are high to encourage you to bring the gear back.

Gear We Don't Have

We don't attempt to provide tents or sleeping bags, as these quickly deteriorate unless they are well cared for and we don't have the personnel to do that. MEC might rent these items to you.

We don't supply outdoors clothing, but sometimes stuff gets abandoned in the Clubroom, so it is worth while to check out the "free bin" from time to time.

Snow Sports Gear List

Snowshoes $40

Gaiters $20

Make sure your skis, boots, poles, feet, skins, all fit together properly before leaving the Clubroom

Telemark skis $80

Skins $40 But we don't supply skins to people who have their own skis, because that would involve cutting them to size to make them fit, and then they wouldn't be ruined. Our skins are cut to fit specific pairs of skis.

Poles $40

Plastic tele boots $80

"Ski Package" $200 (Skis, plastic boots, poles, and skins)

Avalanche transceiver, or beacon $200 (batteries are not included)

Shovel $40

Probe $40

"Avalanche package" $280 (beacon, shovel, probe)

Gear Plan

After many months of discussion and debate, a 5-year plan (2007-2011) was put forward to revitalize our gear.
We have over achieved our plan! Success... a new plan will be posted when we have one.

Other Gear Rental Locations

Mountain Equipment Co-op is probably the best source of rental equipment. More information can be found on their
MEC's rental page